Current-interrupter.



C. F. KETTERING. CURRENT INTERRUPTER,

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29. 1910.

1,1 9 1,976. Patented July 25, 1916.

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WITNESSES:

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CHARLES E. KETTERING, OF DAYTON, 0310, ASSIGNQE TO THE DAYTQN ENGINEERING LABORATOHIEQ (30., A GOBLEORATIQN OF OHIO.

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me, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, county of Montgomery, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new. and useful. Improvmnents in Current-Interrupters, of which the following is a full,

clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in current interrupters and is particularly adapted to ignition devices for explosive engines.

It is among its objects to provide a form of construction which will produce a single igniting spark for each contact of the timer orv distributor which controls the sparking in the cylinders of the engine; and also to provide such form of spark controlling device as will be as free as possible from (hfficulties arising from the rapid oscillations of the make and break device for the cir cuit, that is, to eliminate as far as possible the detrimental effects of any mechanical periodicity of the contact breaker itself. It is to be understood that these improvements partly relate to current interruptions, but I refer to them above and hereinafter, as more particularly applied to ignition systems, wherein their practical adaptability can readily be pointed out. The advantages of these improvements, in their various.

uses, to which they may be applied,'wil1 be observed by those familiar with the characteristics of these devices. 7

With these and incidental objects in view, the invention consists in the combination of mechanism hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

In said drawings, Figure 1 represents a diagrammatic view oi the ignition device applied to one spark coil and one cylinder;

Fig. 2 represents a detailedview of the make and break device or interrupter, and Fig. 3 represents a similar side view of the parts shown in Fig. 2.

It may be stated that although the invention asherein shown is applied to one spark coil and one cylinder, it is equally; applicable for use with any number of cylinders with corresponding number of spark coils or with a distributer system for various cylinders, the timer and distributor being arranged accordingly.

The battery 20, or other source of elec- Specificaticn of Letters Patent.

CHARLES F. KETTER- the interrupter by a divided circuit com:

, Patented July .25 5, rare. Application filed June 29, 1910. Serial No. 569,440. i

prising the main wire 31 and: the shunt wire 32-. These circuits lead through the interrupter, .as presently to be explained, and

join the common return wire 33, which leads back to the battery.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the interrupter comprises a permanent magnet 40 which is bent at right angles to form a lower arm 41 and an upper arm 42. Between thesetwo arms are mounted two soft iron cores 43 and 44, the lower ends of which are connected to the magnet arm 41, and the upper ends of which carry the pole pieces. 45 and 46. Pivoted at 47 in the upper magnet arm 42,':.is a switch or contact lever 48 which swings between the stop pin 49 and the contact pin 50. The aforesaid core 43 is surrounded by a coil of fine wire 53 connectedat one end with the shunt wire 32 and at the other end with the contact in 50. The core 44 surrounded by a main coil 54 oflow resistance connected at one end with the main wire 31 and at the other end with the swinging switch or contact lever 48.

Theoperation of these devices is as follows: Tlie normal position of the contact lever 48 is as shown infull lines in Fig. 2

when under the influence of the permanent any current flowing through the same, the lower end of the lever 48 is attracted into proximity with the pole piece 45 so as to hold the upper end of lever 48 against the contact pin 50. When the timer 22 revolves to make contact with the point 23 and thus close the circuit through the primary coil 24, the current flows through the wire 30, the main or low resistance coil 54, switch. lever 48, contact pin 50 and wire 33 back. to the battery with a shunt circuit through the high resistance coil 53 to the con-tactpin 50 and back to the battery through the wire 33, it being understood of course that this shunt connection may be made at. the contact pin .magnetism of the interrupter and without 50 or any convenient place along the wire 11.0

' in ,Fig. 2. The stop pin 49 is so located that the upper end of lever 48 cannot swing far enough to the right to bring the lower end beyond the'central position between the two pole pieces and 46 so that with this condition of no current flowing the. lower end of the lever 48 is attracted toward the lowerpole piece 45 and held in that position, thus forming part of this permanent magnetic circuit. The windings of the two coils'53 and 54 is such however that when the current flows through thennas above described the polarity of the pole pieces 45 and 46 is reversed under the influence of the respective coils, so that the pole piece 45 repels the lower end of the lever 48 and pole piece 46' attracts the same, thus causing the lever 48 to swing into the-position shown in dotted lines in Fig' 2, with its upper end against the stop pin 49. The result of this, as will be readily seen, is to break the circuit at the contact point 50 and thus break the circuit through the main coil 54. The current still flows through the high resistance coil 53 and by so doing the contact lever 48 is retained in this shifted position so long as'the timer 22 is makingcontact at the point 23. The breaking of the circuit through the main or low resistance coil 54 however produces a sudden change in the intensity of the current through the primary coil 24 such as to cause the necessary sparking to take place in the circuit of the secondary coil 25. Likewise it will be seen that theshunt coil 53 holds the switch lever 48 in this shifted position so as to result in producing only a single spark for each contact of the timer.

As soon as thetimer has broken contac at the point 23 the current through the sh nt or auxiliary coil 53 isbroken, and thus there a is no longer any current passing through I the interrupter, and it is again subject only to the influence of its so as to cause the parts to return againto normal position "shown by thefposition ofthe switch lever 48 in-full lines in Fig. 2. In such latter position the parts are ready for a recurrence of the same operation upon the next making of the contact by the timer.

It will be seen from this construction that the interrupter is free from springs and that I :tact vibrator susceptible of having a perio dicity of its own by reason of such Vibrations.

To more clearly explain the flow of current and the magnetic circuits and the relation androiiperation of the various parts lever 48', which is of magnetic material and which may be termed the polarized armature. The second or ,other circuit may be termed the electro-magnetic circuit and comprises the main circuit, connected with the source of direct current and in reality may be saidto include the first namedbr permanent magnetic circuit.

When no current is flowing through the main or electro-magnetic circuit, the soft iron cores are, of course, denergized, or free from any substantial electro-magnetism, so that the polarized armature or lever 48 swings into contact with the pole piece 45 and in doing so, completes the first named or permanent magnetic circuit. The lever 48, as stated, is located off center, as between the poles 45 and 46, so that it never normally shifts over into contact with the pole piece 46, but rather, shifts to the pole piece 45, to complete said permanent magnetic circuit. However, when this second or electromagnetic circuit comes into play, by the starting of the direct current, the coils are so wound that the polarity of the pole piece 45 is made the same as the polarity of the polarized armature, so as to repel the same into dotted line position. That is, assuming that the arm 42 of the permanent magnet, has a north pole, then the starting of the direct current makes the pole piece 45 a north pole, so that the ma etic flux is from pole piece 45 across the air gap to the pole piece 46.- This causes the polarized. arma shown is one which is particularly well suited to accomplish the objects sought, I desire it to be understood that other formsof construction 'might be utilized without departing from the spirit of this invention as set forth in the claims below. i

What is claimed is as follows:

ture 48 to be repelled by pole piece 45 and 1. In .a current interrupter, the combination wi'tha source of current, and'a main cir: cuit including a timer; of a polarized -armature and a low resistanc coil in a main circuit, and an auxiliary high resistance coil shunted around said low resistance coil and polarized armature,- said coils constructed to operate said armature to break the circuit through the low resistance coil and hpldsaid armature in such circuit breaking position by the high resistance coil.

2. In a current interrupter, the combination with a source of current, and a main circuit including a timer; of a polarized armature and a low resistance coil in the main circuit; and an auxiliaryhigh resistance coil shunted around low resistance coil of said polarized armature and wound in v a direction to repel said polarized armature, said coils constructed to coiiperat'e to move said armature out of contact making position to break the main circuit andhold said armature in circuit breaking position by the high resistance coil.

3. In a current interrupter the combination with a source of current, and a main circuit including a timer, of an interrupter comprising a polarized armature and a low resistance coilin the main circuit and an auxiliary high resistance coil shunted around said low resistance coil and armature; said coil constructed to operate said armature to break the circuit through the low resistance coil and hold said armature in such circuit breaking position by the high resistance coil; anda stop adjacent to said armature located to limit the throw of said armature to cause the same to be restored to normal contact making position, under the influence of its own polarity, when the main current ,said armature to break the circuit through.

the low resistance coil and hold the armature in such-circuit breaking position by the high resistance coil.

5. In a current interrupter, the combination with a source of current, and a. main circuit including a timer, of. a polarized armature and a low resistance coil connected with the main circuit; a make-and break contact point between said armature and said main circuit; ahigh resistancecoil including core therefor, shunted around said low resistance.

coil and said armature, said coils construct edto operate said armature to break the circuit through the low resistance coil and hold armature in such circuit breaking position by the high resistance coil; and a stop in proximity to said armature located'to limit the throw thereof so as to retain the same always within the region of influence of the core of the high resistance coil. 6. In a currentinterrupter, the combination with a source of current, an electric ci-rcuit connected therewith, including a timer I element for intermittently closing said circuit; electrically controlled means for breaking said circuit during the interval that said circuit is closed by the timer; of permanent magnetic means for normally maintaining said last named means in closed circuit position when the electric circuit is open at the timer.

'7. In a current interrupter, the combination with a source of current, and an electric circuit connected therewith, including a timer element for intermittently closing said circuit; electrically controlled means for breaking said circuit during the interval thatsaid time element has closed the circuit;

independent electrical means for maintain-. ing said electrically controlled means in its shifted position during the closing of the electric circuit by the timer; of permanent mag'netic means for normally maintaining said electrically controlled means in closedcircuit position during the interval that said electric circuit is openat the timer.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES F. KETTERING.

Witnesses: V

J. B. HAYWARD, CHAS. D. BRONSON.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the.0ommission er of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

